Bond hearingsThe following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Sept. 29 in Circuit Court. • Michael Fulford, 36, introducing contraband to a correctional facility — $10,000. While incarcerated at the Pope County Detention Center, Fulford was found in possession of a Xanax pill, a substance believed to be ...

$750,000 bond for shooting suspectDistrict Judge Don Bourne ordered shooting suspect Quwillien Porter held in lieu of a $750,000 bond during felony bond hearings Monday morning. The Russellville Police Department (RPD) arrested Porter, 19, on Saturday in connection with an early-morning shooting Thursday at an apartment complex. Around 3:32 a.m. Thursday, a man and woman were awakened when the back door to their apartment was kicked in, an RPD investigator testified Monday. Th...

Former PCSO jailer arrestedA correctional officer with the Pope County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) resigned Friday after he was arrested on charges of introducing contraband into a correctional facility. Dusty Talley, 28, was arrested following "a pretty extensive Internal Affairs investigation," a PCSO investigator testified during felony bond hearings Monday morning. The investigation was launched "as a result of prohibited items being discovered in the jail," the investi...

Murder, battery arraignment delayedDANVILLE — The arraignment for a Yell County man charged with first-degree murder and battery, which was scheduled for Aug. 7, was delayed until Sept. 4. Circuit Judge Jerry Don Ramey on Friday continued Samuel Lee Ward's arraignment until next month. Ward told the judge he planned to retain an attorney by then. Ward, 27, is being held in lieu of a $500,000 cash-only bond. Around 9 p.m. July 31, investigators responded to Chambers Memorial Hos...

$315,000 total in bonds for meth suspectsThe Russellville Police Department (RPD) and Arkansas State Police (ASP) busted a potential drug ring Wednesday morning in Russellville. An investigator with the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force testified during bond hearings Friday the RPD went to a Russellville residence to arrest Cynthia Reyes on three counts of delivery of methamphetamine or cocaine. Reyes, 21, allegedly sold between $100-$200 worth of methamphetamine on three separate occas...

RPD arrests suspect in Thursday morning shootingThe Russellville Police Department has located Quwillien Porter. Porter was arrested and transported to the Pope County Detention Center. Porter was placed on felony hold for Battery in the 1st Degree and Aggravated Residential Burglary. Porter will appear before Judge Don Bourne Monday morning in bond hearings. According to a release put out by RPD, Porter was wanted in connection to a shooting that occurred Thursday morning at approximately ...

Man charged in Arkadelphia deaths gets life terms ARKADELPHIA (AP) — A man charged in three Arkadelphia slayings has been sentenced to four life sentences after pleading guilty. Riakos Lizana, 21, pleaded guilty on Friday to three counts of capital murder and one count of residential burglary. Lizana admitted to killing Bobby Jean Galbraith, 40, and his stepdaughters, Marley Crutchfield, 4, and Adiele Crutchfield, 6. Prosecutor Blake Baston says Lizana was a family acquaintance and that Lizan...

Jonesboro woman pleads guilty JONESBORO (AP) — A Jonesboro woman has pleaded guilty to reduced charges in connection with the shooting death of her husband. Michelle Despain pleaded guilty Friday to three counts of hindering apprehension in the Aug. 24 shooting death of Marc Despain inside the couple's home. Michelle Despain was originally charged with capital murder in the case. Prosecutors say they will recommend a 30-year-prison sentence for Despain when she's sentenced...

Beebe woman sentenced for sex with student BEEBE (AP) — An Arkansas woman has been sentenced to six years of probation after she admitted having sex with a 15-year-old she met while substitute teaching. The Daily Citizen reported Melissa J. Stevens, 27, of Beebe pleaded guilty to fourth-degree sexual assault as part of a deal with White County prosecutors. She also must pay a $1,000 fine and register as a sex offender. Police in Beebe said they got a call in December from a 15-year-old...

3 men plead guilty to meth possession MOUNTAIN HOME (AP) — Three men in northern Arkansas have each been sentenced to three years in prison for unrelated methamphetamine charges. The Baxter Bulletin reported the men entered guilty pleas Thursday before a Baxter County Circuit Judge. Eli Michael Weedman, 31, pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and morphine. The Baxter County Sheriff's department says authorities found Weedman's drugs when he was being booked into county...

New trial set for man convicted in slaying VAN BUREN (AP) — A new trial has been set for a man convicted in the 2001 slaying of a woman at a Crawford County transient camp. The Southwest Times Record reported the new trial for Rickey Dale Newman, 56, has been set for Oct. 27 in Crawford County Circuit Court. Newman was sentenced to death in 2002 for killing Marie Cholette, 48. Newman wrote a letter last month that says he didn't kill Cholette. The letter was filed to the circuit clerk'...

Man gets prison time in child porn case TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) — A Texarkana man has been sentenced to more than four year in federal prison for downloading at least 600 child porn images on a work computer. The Texarkana Gazette reported Stephen Wayne Potts, 55, was sentenced Wednesday. Authorities say Potts downloaded the images on a computer issued to him by the Ark-Tex Council of Governments for an undisclosed period of time until July 2012. The sexually explicit images depicted c...

RPD offers reward for shooting suspectThe Russellville Police Department (RPD) is offering a $250 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect in a Thursday morning shooting. Quwillien Porter, who police said should be considered armed and dangerous, is wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting. Around 3:32 a.m. Thurday, RPD responded to a report of a shooting near the 1200 block of North Cleveland Avenue, RPD Public Information Officer Drew Latch said in a...

Floyd enters innocent pleaDANVILLE — Brooke Floyd pleaded innocent to manslaughter charges Thursday in connection with the deaths of her 10-month-old son, Harper, and 33-year-old husband, Brian. Fifteenth Judicial District Deputy Prosecutor Tom Tatum Sr. told Circuit Judge Jerry Don Ramey the Prosecuting Attorney's Office had accepted a written plea signed by Floyd and her attorney, Bill James of Little Rock. Neither Floyd, who was previously released on a $50,000 bond...

Bond Hearings (Aug. 6, 2014)The following individuals appeared during felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear Sept. 8 in Circuit Court. • Johnathan Gunn, 38, theft of property — $7,500 concurrent bond. Gunn was given a $7,500 bond Friday on a charge of felon in possession with a firearm. Authorities investigating a recent theft indicated the gun in...

Officials block inmate uniform proposal MOUNTAIN HOME (AP) — The Baxter County Quorum Court has killed a proposal to replace inmates' black-and-white striped jail uniforms with green scrubs. The Baxter Bulletin reported the court voted down the proposal 10-1 Tuesday night. The only vote in favor came from the proposal's architect, Gary Tennison. He called the uniforms dehumanizing. Tennison says inmates are humiliated by the uniforms, which has a negative impact on their rehabilitat...

Police dog escapes pen, bites 2 neighbors LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Police in Little Rock say a police dog managed to escape his pen at a home in Saline County and bite two neighbors. Sgt. Cassandra Davis says the dog apparently jumped a 6-foot-tall privacy fence on Monday and crossed the street where he bit the neighbors. The condition of the two victims was not released — but Davis says at least one was hospitalized. Davis says the dog bite is being treated as a vicious dog bite and will n...

Bull Shoals police chief to resign, avoid charges BULL SHOALS (AP) — An Arkansas police chief accused of using excessive force against a suspect agreed Monday to resign and never serve in law enforcement again in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping the remaining charge against him. Prosecutors can revive the criminal case against Bull Shoals Police chief Daniel Sutterfield if the conditions of the agreement are not met, The Baxter Bulletin reported. The case involved the arrest of a dom...

Benton County agrees to pay fired comptroller BENTONVILLE (AP) — Benton County has agreed to pay a comptroller who was fired earlier this year. The county agreed Monday to give former comptroller Sarah Wilson six months' severance pay. The county also agreed to pay her $5,000 in legal fees. Wilson was fired in April after investigators said she lied about being in a relationship with a former employee. She has agreed not to publicly disparage Benton County. She is also not able to apply f...

Searcy man pleads guilty to killing grandmother SEARCY (AP) — A Searcy man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of his grandmother. The Daily Citizen reported Grant Ellis Crawford, 25, was sentenced after entering the plea Monday in the Jan. 13 shooting of 65-year-old Rachel Maples. Maples died Jan. 18 at a Little Rock hospital. Crawford said the shooting was an accident — but acknowledged that prosecutors had enough ev...